The Patient
by WriterM19
Summary: Arizona and Callie are happy. They gave Sofia a sibling. They're still madly in love. Everything is great. How will a mysterious new patient brought into Seattle Grace Mercy West change that? Could one person really be capable of altering their lives? And is all change bad?
1. Blissfully Happy

**The Patient**

**Summary:** Arizona and Callie are happy. They gave Sofia a sibling. They're still madly in love. Everything is great. How will a mysterious new patient brought into Seattle Grace Mercy West change that? Could one person really be capable of altering their lives? And is all change bad?

There was no plane crash in this story. Arizona has all her limbs intact and firmly attached to her body. I hate that the writers made happy bubbly Arizona all depressed and dark and twisty. I say that's Meredith's job. Leave that to the Twisted Sisters. Though, Jessica Capshaw is definitely capable of portraying this emotional journey, I wish they made her character… her again. And no cheating. I know Shonda likes to kill characters in one sense of the word or another, but… wasn't a missing limb enough? Had to make her a cheater too? Really Shonda? Seriously?

This will be an Arizona centric story, but will focus on the relationship between her and Callie, their family and even Mark. Calzona is the story but there's more to it than that. And this is fan fiction, things will happen that aren't always true to character or life. That's the fun of it all; playing with 'reality'. Either sit back, read and enjoy, or don't. No one's forcing you.

_I don't own Grey's Anatomy or the Grey's characters, just my own words and ideas. _

**Chapter 1: Blissfully Happy**

Arizona and Callie had been married for five years. Sofia celebrated her birthday just a few months ago and they just had their fifth wedding anniversary too. Things were good. They were happy. The four of them, yes there were four of them, were a new kind of family; a modern family, and they couldn't have asked for anything more. That was what they were thinking as they found themselves in the park on a bright September morning, Sofia running around the playground being chased by Callie as Arizona pushed their son in the toddler swing. Each member of their brood was adorned with a smile on their face. The children's happy giggles added a little extra brightness to the already sunny day.

The grass seemed greener and the sky bluer. They were content; more than content. They were living the dream; their dream. Sure, Arizona started out not wanting kids at all, but Sofia changed that. The little girl was a blessing, a part of life she never knew she wanted to experience until it was right in front of her. And Sofia didn't come about how Arizona would've liked, with Mark and all the complications it brought to their already struggling relationship, but she couldn't love the tiny human anymore than her own blood related tiny human; her tiny dimpled human.

When Sofia was no more than two years old, Callie had this crazy idea. Well, it wasn't crazy to her, but it sure was to Arizona. It actually felt pretty random. It definitely came out of nowhere to her; yet, Arizona felt she should have seen it coming. There were clues she missed along the way. They had an odd day off; the two of them at the same time. They wanted a family day that was Mark free… Completely Mark free per Arizona's request. Their plans were simple. All they wanted was a quiet day just the three of them doing whatever.

Originally, they were planning a leisurely walk around the neighborhood. They just wanted to stroll around and push Sofia in her carriage. The child found the moving scenery both exciting and soothing. The parents just enjoyed their family time however it came. But the weather had a different idea. The forecast called for clear skies, but seconds out of the house and the sky was letting loose. It was torrential, but it was Seattle after all and rain wasn't exactly a rarity. Arizona remembered the day like it was yesterday from the first rain drop, to the anvil Callie threw on her head.

"_Super." Arizona said sarcastically, still sporting her perky demeanor. The rain came out of nowhere._

"_Wa-wa." Sofia chanted, clapping from her stroller as the rain poured around them, more like on them._

"_Yes Sofia, water." Arizona turned to Callie as she pushed Sofia into the dry area of the awning. "It wasn't supposed to rain today. I checked. You checked too, didn't you? Those lying liars, who lie, lied about rain."_

"_It's ok Arizona." It was quite obvious, even with the blonde's dimpled smile, that she was disappointed that their day was ruined by Mother Nature. So she lightened the mood a little and pointed to their daughter. "She seems happy it did."_

"_Yeah, she does." Relaxing, Arizona took the child from the safety harness of the stroller and held her in her arms. Sofia was still clapping; squirming to reach out for the falling water like it was magic. Arizona did her best to comply, placing the child on her feet, still holding one hand but giving enough leeway to reach out and feel the raindrops rest against her fingers. "I guess the super duper fun family day will have to be moved indoors." _

"_What about a play date with Zola?" Her smile widened. "Maybe we'll even get a few hours for an adult only play date that doesn't involve a few minutes in an on call room or sleep."_

"_Now that… is something I can get behind."_

_Callie responded by kissing her wife, barely getting her words out as she held the kiss. "Let's make it happen." As they continued their kiss, Sofia managed to slip her hand out of Arizona's and run out into the rain trying to catch the drops, pulling both her moms into the watery mess as well._

"_Sofia!" They yelled, but laughed. They were trying to teach her what to and not to do like any parent does, and running away from them was a definite no-no, but running into a grassy fenced in courtyard wasn't the worst thing the toddler could do. It wasn't a road, and it was only a little rain on a fairly warm day. What the hell, right?_

"_Mama! Momma!" Their daughter called for them to join her. They were sucked into it. Who could say no to such cuteness?_

_And so, the three of them played in the rain. Sofia tried to catch as many raindrops in her hands as she could with the help of her mothers. To any outsider, they probably looked crazy. Two girls and a baby playing in the rain sounded a little like the makings of a bad punch line, but they loved it. They loved every second of it. _

_They stayed out there enjoying their family time as long as they could, stopping only when the spring chill sent shivers through their soaked bodies. "I think it's time to head in." _

"_Come on Sofia. Time to go inside."_

"_No! No! Me play! Play too mama! Mommy play too."_

"_No more. It's time to get warm. We'll play inside. Maybe we'll call Meredith and see if Zola wants to play"_

"_Zo!"_

"_Yes Zola." During their talk, Sofia was distracted enough that she didn't realize Arizona had picked her up and followed Callie into the building._

_As they reached their floor and the precursory ping sounded, the blonde began to shift the baby into her wife's arms. "I call dibs on the shower." Arizona squealed as she rushed through the slightly parted doors of the elevator leaving Callie behind holding Sofia. _

"_We could conserve hot water and shower together." Callie said seductively as she called after her wife. Thankfully, there was no one around to hear it; especially Mark. He would've had a field day with it."Save the environment!" _

_Stopping at the door, she turned to Callie as she reached in her bag for the keys. Arizona just gave her a look that said that personal time really wasn't an option and there was no room to debate. Someone had to stay with Sofia and get their little munchkin changed. But that didn't stop Callie from trying. Her lips could be very persuasive. "No fair. You're playing dirty."Arizona broke away as she let them into the apartment. _

"_You like dirty." _

"_And in front of our daughter…" She mocked shock. _

"_We're not doing anything wrong. We're just kissing."_

"_Calliope," Arizona started as she pulled another towel out of the linen closet to hand to her wife, "I'm all for saving the environment, but she needs a bath too."_

"_Fine, you go shower. You go get all warm and clean while I stay here wet and cold… alone… with our daughter…" The guilt trip wasn't working._

"_You won't be alone." Arizona teased. "You'll be in the bathroom with her, getting her settled and warm in a nice bubble bath."_

"_Alright, you win." Callie declared. "Just watch her for a second while I dry off a little."_

"_Go." Arizona wrapped herself and Sofia up in a fluffy towel. As she was untying the little girl's shoes, she heard the telltale sounds of the water turning on, spray from the nozzle landing against the porcelain tub. "I'm going to kill your mother Sofia. She tricked us."_

"_Bad mama?"_

"_Bad mama. Come on. Let's get you in the tub and into something warm. We'll take care of her later. No ice cream for mama."_

"_Ice Sofia?"_

"_You bet. Me and you, lots of chocolate." Heading through the hallway, Arizona looked into her daughter's big brown eyes and asked her a serious question. "Bubbles or no bubbles?"_

"_Bubs! Bubs!" _

"_Bubbles it is."Arizona responded just as happily and made it happen, filling the tub with warm water and bubbles galore. _

_Later that night, the two women were curled up in bed, basking in the euphoria they just experienced their bare bodies clinging to one another. They may have wanted adult time, and it was great, but as they were winding down, bodies sweaty and hot, they couldn't help but miss their baby girl. After weeks of being on call and sharing her with Mark, they just wanted a little extra time with her. "I miss her." _

"_Sofia?"_

"_No, my ex girlfriend Maggie."_

"_Seriously?" Not reading the sarcasm, Callie was upset._

"_No. God Calliope, I miss Sofia."_

"_I do too. She's right across the hall. We can steal her back from Mark."_

"_No we can't. This was our agreement. We all had this weekend off. We got her last night and today. He gets her tonight and tomorrow while we go into work. That's why we had him pick her up from Derek's. We don't want him taking her during our time." That would upset them all. "This way is fair."_

"_Fine. I know it's fair, but it sucks sometimes."_

_A silence took over. It was neither uncomfortable nor awkward, just unsettled. There was something looming in the air, something that Callie had been itching to bring up and Arizona was a little oblivious to. _

"_Calliope, you're staring…" Arizona finally said. She couldn't take it anymore. _

"_You're hot."_

"_That's not why you're looking at me like that. You've been staring for days now. I can't sleep with you staring. You want to say something." And she was terrified of what it could be. "Just say it. Please. Whatever it is… No matter how bad, as long as you're not asking for a divorce."_

"_It's not anything like that." She assured. _

"_Phew! Awesome. So what's on your mind?"_

"_Sofia's getting older." She stated the fact._

"_She is." The blonde agreed, not sure where the conversation was going at that point._

"_She's two now."_

"_I know. I was there when she was born and when we celebrated her birthday last week."_

"_There's something I want to ask you." Her words seemed rushed, like that time she was drunk and asked Arizona to move in after their reunion following their breakup. Yeah, she was a little nervous._

"_Oh no… I mean… Oh. Ok. What do you need to ask?"_

"_I want a baby." Although clear, the words were strewn together; said as one. _

"_You want… we have a baby Calliope. And that's not a question."Arizona was trying to diffuse the situation in her head. She wasn't sure she was ready for that. Sofia was great, and she was all too aware that she said she couldn't live without Callie and their ten kids, but she didn't know if she was ready yet. She had to be ready for Sofia. At the time, she was coming whether she wanted it or not, but this was different. The situation, the circumstance, the idea; it was all different._

"_Do you want to have a baby with me?"_

"_Do I… A baby… with you?" It was incoherent bits of a question; if it was a question, but that was all she could manage at the time. Did she want another baby?_

In hindsight, she probably should've seen something like that coming. Callie had been watching her sleep again, and she had been pretending to be asleep again. Yet, she didn't expect the baby talk again even if, now that she thought about it, there was some incessant cooing over strangers' tiny humans. Sofia was still a baby herself at the time, and Callie wanted to add another? She wasn't sure how to handle that then, but looking at where they ended up, she was happy with the way things turned out. There were bumps and mountains to climb and they didn't go about it how they planned, not in the least, but they got there. They got what they wanted. They had their son. They had a complete family.

"Come on Zane; let's go help mama catch Sofia." His cherubic cheeks lit up as his smile forced his dimples out to full mass. He was, most definitely, her son. From the blonde hair and blue eyes to the big dimples, his tiny human face was all hers. But there was Callie in there too. Biologically, that wasn't possible. He didn't look like Callie. But, he was just as strong willed as her and tough like her. Callie liked to remind Arizona that those were traits they shared; all of them, but Arizona believed all the good in him came from her. He was who he was because of Calliope. "Let's go big boy."

"Ee-ah!" He called. That was his name for his sister. The two year old had trouble with the "Sof" part of her name and stuck with bits of the last two syllables when he was too excited to care otherwise. It worked for him. And it was adorable. Usually he managed the 'f' and got Fia, but when he was running and playing, just the sounds seemed to suffice. "Ee-ah! Ee-ah! I play. I play too Z and Sof-ee-ah!" Running on his newly perfected steady feet, he chased after his sister.

"Run!" Sofia called when she spotted him. "Mama's coming and she's going to get you."

"Mama no!" He cried out. "No get Z and Fia." He was getting better at saying that.

Arizona just bathed herself in the glory that was the sight before her. Her kids were perfect. Her wife was perfect. Her life was perfect. Everything was better than perfect. She used to think that all she wanted was a heavily stamped passport and a few good memories abroad with her lover, but having a wife and children to call her own was so much more than that. Those memories in faraway lands would have faded. The life they carved out was forever. They were forever, so the four of them together was all she could ask for; all that she wanted for now and always.

"Arizona, help me out here!" Callie's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "It's two against one and I'm losing."

"Oh, I don't know." She said turning to the kids. "Who should mommy help?"

"Help us mommy!" Sofia called.

Arizona ran toward them, then with them after saying, "Let's get her!" And they did. They got Callie, doing the equivalent of a football pile on, the three other bodies all lying atop Callie. It was an ordinary day at the park, but it was the best kind of day, and it would be the last completely normal day of its kind for a while.

Hours passed as they played in the park. Little Zane was ready for naptime and Sofia was ready for a bath and a sleep over with Zola. Their family day was coming to a close before the sun even set, but it didn't change the bliss of it all. It was still a great day.

"Ready to go home?"

"But I don't want to go." Sofia pouted.

"So you don't want to go to Zola's? I think Meredith promised ice cream and cupcakes." Arizona enticed her. She loved the kid, but she was looking forward to having the bed child free for the night. Once Zane was asleep, they were free to cuddle and more without the worry of finding their princess commandeering the covers.

"I want to go!" Sofia's eyes lit up with excitement. Her mommies, even her dad, didn't let her have too many sweets. It was unhealthy, though, Arizona snuck her an extra cookie every now and again. They just agreed to keep that to themselves. "Don't tell mom" was part of their tradition. What mama didn't know didn't hurt.

"Of course you do." Callie stated. "Go grab your ball. I've got your brother."

Arizona was helping Callie collect their things and get their son strapped in the stroller when they heard Sofia calling. "I can't carry it all. Help me mommy!"

"What do we say?"

"Please?"

"I've got it." She said to Callie. "I'm coming Sof. Grab what you can." She was sure they didn't bring that much, but she was still going to help. As Callie put a few of the toys in the basket attached to the stroller, Arizona helped Sofia with their bag. "Why did we bring all this? We didn't even use it."

"We were going to play in the sand mommy, but we didn't. Next time right?"

"Right."

"And the bubs too?" Even after years and knowing how to say the word correctly, Sofia sill very cutely, used the nickname. It was amazing how time changed children so much, yet not at all.

"And the bubbles too. Lots of bubbles."

"Super!" Sofia exclaimed. "Mommy said we can blow bubbles next time!" She yelled as she ran toward Callie leaving Arizona behind to finish putting the toys together.

"Come on Arizona. What's taking so long?"

Arizona pulled everything into her arms and looked to her wife. "Our daughter deserted me."

"Well, come on." She took some of the s tuff from Arizona. "We're running late."

They returned a few seconds later, toys in hand, and the family left together. The four of them would leave and go on to have a happy rest of the day so unaware of the changes that would be coming their way and the surprises waiting just around the corner.


	2. She's a Mystery

**The Patient**

_I don't own Grey's Anatomy or the Grey's characters, just my own words and ideas. _

**Chapter 2: She's a Mystery**

Fall's inevitable approach and the unforgiving chilly nights were wearing her down. The cold was a breath of fresh air though; reminded her a bit of home. And she was talking home, home, not the temporary abode she fled from in always sunny California. As reminiscent as it was and as many memories as it brought up, both good and bad, she couldn't enjoy any of it. Every part of her was aching, from her toes up to her head and every single bit in between. It all hurt and the only warmth she could get was that of her own body heat, of which, there wasn't much. She needed water. She needed sleep. She needed warmth and shelter. She needed so much and had no way to get it. Most of it couldn't and wouldn't happen without money and she needed that too. Needy was what she was and she wasn't lacking in that department.

She wasn't sure what brought her there. Not to Seattle; she knew what she was doing there and what she was searching for (mostly though that was a little fuzzy too), but, more specifically, she wasn't sure what brought her to that half empty parking lot in the swankier part of town. Maybe it was the latest fight with the other "tenants" of her latest dwelling that had her out searching for a little reprieve. Whatever it was, she just needed a little space and there was plenty right in front of her. Though, how she was going to blend in while in front of a bunch of upscale boutiques was beyond her. The clothes she had on was the best she owned and it was barely presentable, just frayed threads and ripped jeans.

That was a problem that could be solved though. And she would solve another there too. A bunch of rich kids with pockets full of money to waste… Jackpot! They'd surely be helpful in resolving the cash flow, or lack thereof, problem. She just had to make it through the harsh night first. They'd come eventually and she'd be prepared, but she needed to stay warm enough to be capable of anything come morning.

Until first light, she had to find some remote sanctuary that left her guarded and able to see anyone coming. She wouldn't let anything catch her off guard again. Not ever if she could help it… Not that she could always help it… Whatever, she needed to find a spot and she did. A man hole in the alleyway next to the plaza would be optimal. It would provide warmth and seclusion with just enough visibility to be aware. That was where she'd spend the night. Just one night then she'd return. No one was going to force her out. That was her home now… It wasn't much but it was something. She found it and she was staying.

For the time being, she had to get comfortable there. She took her spot against the wall, just a few feet from the manhole; close enough to feel the steaming heat and far enough away not to get any exposure burn. If she closed her eyes just long enough and just hard enough, she could almost pretend it was a fireplace. It was a fireplace in a nice house filled with family. It was perfect and there wasn't a care in the world. And for that moment when she was there, inside that house, she could see her family and her life and she liked it. But it all vanished the moment her eyes opened. It was all fake. She wasn't a kid anymore, not really, and that picture perfect world just wasn't in the cards for her anymore. Any semblance of that she once had was gone now and forever out of reach.

"Ugh." She let out a harsh exhale like a reminder that that vision was just in her head. If she let herself think about it too much it just hurt more. "Sleep. I just need to sleep." Wash away the memories and hope, and just pray there were no nightmares. But there always were. Ignoring the pains, both physical and mental, she leaned back into the wall and held herself until she managed to fall into a light slumber.

The night passed much too quickly and the sun woke her nice and early; not that she would've slept longer or much at all anyway. A few scattered hours, if that, was a norm for her. The other early birds were already out shopping. Time to find her mark. Getting her wits about her, she scanned the area looking for the perfect target. And Bingo! She found him. A graying man dressed way too nicely to be anything but well off was sure to have something good filling his wallet. Clearly he had money, a recent purchase hanging in his hand acting as evidence. It was like she could smell the money coming off of him even as far away as she was. She knew he'd prove lucrative. All she had to do was figure out how she wanted to play it.

Snatch and grab? That could get violent. He was much bigger than her, undoubtedly stronger, and she was already weakened from her last battle. So that was out. She couldn't take another blow without being down for the count. Luckily, she perfected a few skills along the way. She'd go with a much simpler approach; well, a much less abrasive maneuver anyway. He'd never even know she hit him; just a quick pinch, empty him out, and return it right where it belonged minus a few extra bills. Just how she liked it; in and out. In her moment of tactical indecision, though, she failed to see he was pacing outside the next store clearly waiting for someone. Missing that, she saw the perfect opportunity to make her move.

Everything was going well. The hood of her tattered and worn jacket was up to conceal whatever of herself she could and she made her way over just as a group of kids her age were going by. It was the perfect way to blend in and not look conspicuous. Who would question just another kid in a bunch? She may not have looked like she fit in, but they provided cover. She allowed them to pass the man just a bit as she hung back to do her thing. Her hand made it into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet without fail. She was too good at it; a skill she never wanted to know and made her feel guiltier every time she used it. But she had to survive somehow. And that was how she did.

Unfortunately, all her work was ruined when she tried to slip the wallet back. Just after emptying the leather of any cash, her hand hovering just over the pocket about to replace it and nonchalantly head over to her "friends," the person he was waiting for interrupted.

"Daddy!" The little girl called and ran toward him. And like the good father she assumed him to be, he bent down to his daughter's level, arms outstretched. It was a beautiful moment, one she wished she could've experienced at some point in her life, but never had the chance to. So caught up in it, she was almost literally caught with her hand in the "cookie jar."

"What the hell?!" The man yelled as he turned to her. Her face was covered, but that didn't mean she couldn't be seen. And she could not be seen; not by him or anyone. It wasn't allowed. Being caught was not an option and it needed to be avoided. The panic was setting in and it all happened so quickly. He shielded the little girl, pushing her back with his hand, like she was going to attack them, but she wouldn't. She was honestly just as scared as they were. "What do you think you're doing?! Is that my wallet?!" He screamed angrily.

"Awesome." She snarked, mostly to herself. It was all she could manage to say. And with that, she just gripped the wallet tighter instead of releasing it like she should have, stupidly tore the bag from his hands, and ran as fast as her strained body would allow.

"Hey! Get back here you punk! I'm calling the police!" But it didn't matter, she was gone.

He could've called the police, but they wouldn't have found her. She knew where the cameras were. She knew what to avoid. There'd be no fingerprints because she had the fancy wallet. And if by chance, they caught a glimpse of her face in her haste or she wasn't quite as careful as she thought, it didn't matter.

They still wouldn't find her. Because, she was nobody; just another stupid kid.

She was a mystery. And that was what she'd remain. Hopefully…

But it wasn't likely. In the coming days, she'd come so close to getting what she was there for and still be so far away from ever really having it. The one mystery would be solved only for another to just get started.

So many mysteries and so little time. And it would seem, her own time was being cut short…

**Alright all… A big thank you to all those who followed, favorite, and reviewed. It's much appreciated. **

**I know this chapter's a little short and lacking in the whole Arizona/Callie department but fear not, it's important and they will be in the next. I'm a fan of build up and a little mystery (hence the title of this chapter) so just buckle up and enjoy the ride. The mystery will be pieced together a little at a time, just have to pay attention as the clues are given. Hope you all enjoyed this installment, and until next time…**

**(FYI: I will try to do weekly updates every Monday or Tuesday, but I make no promises, so don't get upset if they're not always posted then.) **


	3. The Page

**The Patient**

_I don't own Grey's Anatomy or the Grey's characters, just my own words and ideas. _

So if you read last chapter and were left a little bewildered, well, then it did its job. It's all part of the expository. Read on people… all will be revealed… eventually…

**Chapter 3: The Page**

Mark was pissed; infuriated, enraged, and whatever other synonym there was for it. "Stupid kid." He muttered angrily as he tossed his T shirt into the locker.

"Did you get it?" He looked up toward the interruption; half unaware he even made it into the hospital and to the break room… Even more curious as to how that happened safely. Was Sofia in daycare? Yes, he sent home the part time nanny they had with them and put her there.

"What?" He questioned still in his daze, barely turning around to face her.

"Damn it Mark! You forgot, didn't you?" Angry chicks… He wasn't in the mood for it and where there was one, there was bound to be another.

"What?" He asked again. He really, really wasn't in the mood for this.

"What's wrong with you today?" She questioned before just rolling her eyes and getting to the point. "Did you remember or not?"

"What are you talking about Blondie?" Mark hissed, standing at full mass before her, hands on his hips.

Sighing, Arizona shifted on her feet, "The shoes Mark." She didn't want to sound like the nagging wife she appeared to be, though she'd tell anyone who would listen that was not and never would be even the slightest of a remote possibility, but she just couldn't help it. That was what Mark did to her. He made her the nagging (non) wife. "Did you pick up Sofia's dance shoes? She needs them for tonight. It's her first class and the ones from last year don't fit so we put them on rush order for tonight. All you had to do was pick them up. Did you do it?"

"Oh… yeah. Yeah, I got them." He looked slightly dazed. "They're in Callie's locker all ready to go for tonight. Pink and new and all that." He brushed it off.

"Great Mark. Thank you." She could breathe again. Mar came through.

"Whatever."

"What's wrong with you?" Arizona questioned taking a seat across from him after he dropped into one of the chairs. "You're not… Mark like."

"You wouldn't believe the morning I've had."

"Try me."

"Some little bitch picked my wallet and right in front of Sofia too." The rage was back. "Managed to take all the cash before she was caught and then, after terrifying Sofia, stole my bag and ran off."

"Did you call the police?"

"No!" He was quick to say.

"What?' She instinctually leaned into the table and toward him. "Why not?"

"She said awesome Arizona. Awesome! She steals my stuff, gets caught, and has the nerve to say awesome. Snarky little sarcastic…"

"Okay…" Arizona cut him off; no need to gear the rest of that. "So that's why you didn't call the police?"

"No." He answered. "I didn't even see her face, barely even heard her voice. She's just a little girl."

"Oh, so your manly pride was hurt and ego deflated because a girl got you."

"That's not true." He was defensive.

"Ok. Sorry." She mocked surrender putting her hands into the air. "What did she take?"

"Everything. My cards, ID, about three hundred in cash and… and a bear I bought for Zane."

"You bought him a bear?" Arizona swooned. She could say a lot of bad things about Mark if she wanted to, but he turned out to be a pretty great father to both their kids; not something she expected or really even wanted as part of her life, but she found herself grateful he was.

"Yeah, one of those monogrammed ones you can get customized. It had a baseball cap and everything. I know how much he loves Sofia's bear so I thought I'd get him his own. It was finally ready."

"Oh Mark, he would've loved it. I'm sorry that was taken. But it's ok. No one was hurt and that's replaceable. How's Sofia?"

"Up in daycare. She's fine. She was more upset I yelled at the kid than she was shaken up about the theft."

"Sounds like her."

"We did good with her. She'd never end up pick pocketing strangers like some delinquent little…"

Again, she interrupted. "Don't take it so hard Mark. It could've been anyone who she targeted. I'm sure she didn't see you as an easy mark." Arizona teased. "I'm glad you're ok. I'm going to check on Sofia anyway and then I have patients to see. Don't you have some boobs to fix?"

"I do more than that." He was back on the defensive… Their relationship had gotten better with the years, more playful for sure, so clearly, if he was being so old Mark defensive, the little thief got to him.

"I know Mark. I'll see you later."

Arizona left Mark behind to go check on their daughter. He was right, she didn't really get that a theft occurred. She was just upset that Daddy was mean to the girl. Her kind nature, while great, made her parents a little worried. She was too kind to strangers sometimes. She was still learning when that was appropriate and when it wasn't.

Callie got an earful from Mark about the morning too. "Aren't kids supposed to be in school?" He had asked.

"Well, Sofia didn't have school today. Maybe the other kids didn't either." She reasoned.

"But those other kids weren't going around stealing from unsuspecting victims." He quipped, still upset about the incident. Not unusual though. Who wouldn't be upset by it?

"Let it go Mark. You didn't even call the police. There's nothing you can do about it. It happened. If you want to report it, do it. I'm just happy no one was hurt but your giant ego."

"You and Blondie have this idea about my ego… There's nothing wrong with my ego."

"No, of course not." She mocked. "Arizona told me she found you in here earlier. Have you moved at all? No patients today?"

Leaning back into the chair in defeat, he answered, "A surgery got rescheduled. I'm just… killing time."

"Well some of us have work to do." Callie stood and said, "See you for dinner tonight."

"It's monthly Monday family dinner night already?"

"Yes, you're still coming right?"

"I'll be there. You better make something good. And I'll need a beer."

"You'll get one. Be there at 7:30 after Sofia's dance class."

"Alright."

"And get out of your funk. Stand tall Sloan." She mimicked his voice. "Stand tall."

"Get out of here Torres. I'll see you tonight."

The rest of the day was relatively uneventful for all of them as would be the rest of the week. They had their dinner and Mark finally calmed down about the theft. It was serious, yes, and it was a crime, but he was less upset about losing a little money than he was wounded. He didn't even try to stop her; not that he wanted to hurt her, but he could've done something or thought faster. He was a surgeon, so quick thinking was a job requirement. And Sofia was there. She was ok, thank god, which was why Callie and Arizona seemed so relaxed with everything, but it was still a little raw for him. But he let it go. He got new credit cards and went to the DMV for his replacement license. It was really just more a pain than anything.

Friday was when it began; the start of all the craziness. Change was coming.

Arizona had a busy day in the OR even had a surgery with Callie; one that happened to be running late and way past daycare hours. "We can take the kids for you." Meredith offered after they realized Mark was in surgery too and was likely to be in there a while longer. Burn victim…

"Seriously? Oh thank you." Arizona spoke through her surgical mask into the phone the nurse was holding out for them.

"No problem."

"Next sleepover's at our house. Whenever you and Derek need a night to yourselves."

"Great. I'll go get the kids."

"Thanks again Meredith."

"See you tomorrow."

"I never thought I'd consider Meredith and Derek godsends." Callie said causing Arizona to giggle.

"Let's finish up and see if we can get home before it gets too late."

"Yes! I'm so dead on my feet."

Later that night, after the long surgery was finally finished, they were home at last. The house was a purchase they made just months before their son's arrival. It was a beautiful home in a good neighborhood; close to the hospital and still close to Mark, but far enough away that the ambulance sirens weren't too loud. It was big enough for all of them and had a nice backyard to play in. And after only a few short years there, it became more than a house. It was truly a home; a home full of memories and love that they were always happy to go to at the end of the work day. A piece of real estate never meant so much to Arizona and Callie. They loved every minute in that house, fights and all.

Arizona was coming out of the shower as Callie was coming into their bedroom, "Zane?" She asked as she towel dried her wet locks.

"Asleep."

"And Sofia?"

"Meredith said she and Zola are pushing it. She's letting them stay up so they're watching a movie but really they're just half asleep in front of her TV. They had fun playing in the McMansion woods though."

"Cute. Soon Bailey and Zane will be doing the same. "

"I know… Sofia says she loves you and can't wait to see you tomorrow."

"That's my baby."

"Bed time?"

"Mmhmm." Slipping into her pajamas, Arizona got under the covers and cuddled with Callie. "Night, love you." She said with a kiss.

"Love you too."

They were exhausted. Juggling endless work hours and two young kids was hard work and they hadn't got a full night's sleep in some time, so in each others' arms, heads buried deep in the pillows, they instantly fell asleep. Alarm set and everyone accounted for, their sleep was peaceful. Or it was until the annoying beeps of the pager abruptly woke them from dreamland.

"I'm asleep." Arizona mumbled as she pulled the pillow over her head. Couldn't they ignore it just this once?

"That's you." Callie grumbled to her.

"How do you know?"

"Just do." Callie responded still half asleep, eyes yet to open even once. She barely even moved.

"Ugh." The blonde grumbled as she stumbled out of bed and over to the dresser. They had to keep the pagers away from the bed or they feared they wouldn't get up to answer them. "It's you." She said and threw a pillow at her wife to wake her. "It's a 911."

"Tell them I'm sleeping."

"Really? That's what you want me to do?" A playful tone filled her sleepy voice. "Some poor person will just have to settle for second best, suffering with the pain of a broken or exposed bone because you want to sleep. Ok, I'll call them and tell them to page someone else because you're unavailable. Should I say you want your beauty rest or should I make something else up? Irritable bowel? Drunken haze? Shower sex?"

"Damn it Arizona." Callie groaned as she threw the blankets off her body and threw her legs over the side of the bed. "I hate you."

"You love me." She smiled as she climbed back into bed nestling herself in the warmth the linen provided. She could hear Callie complaining about pages on nights off and this and that until she fell back asleep. Not much later, though, another round of beeping sounds went off. "No, no, no, no…"

"It's you this time." Callie taunted as she dangled the beeper in front of Arizona's sleepy face.

"Has it even been ten minutes?"

"No."

"I'm sleeping."

"It's a 911 too."

"No. Karev can handle it. He's no intern anymore."

"Some poor tiny human will just have to settle for second best, suffering with the pain of some ruptured something or achy that because you want to sleep. Ok, I'll call them and tell them to page someone else because you're unavailable." She mimicked her wife's earlier antics. "What's your excuse? Cramps? Laryngitis? Uncontrollable sex drive?" Callie joked as she tickled her wife's feet.

"Mean."

"You started it." With a love tap on Arizona's backside, Callie said, "Come on, get your butt dressed. We'll drive in together."

"What about Timothy?" Timothy Zane; a son named after her brother, still with a name of his own.

"We'll take him to Mark's on the way to the hospital. He'll watch him."

Groggily, she began to change, grabbing the first decent thing she found. "Call him. I'll be ready to go in a minute." Maybe ten…

Fully clothed in something other than her blue night gown, Arizona sleepily shuffled into their son's room. He looked so peaceful and comfortable that it pained her to have to move him. And she knew how cranky he got if he was woken up prematurely, but work beckoned; other tiny humans needed her. Sigh… As carefully and as gently as she could, her hands slipped under his body. Lifting him to her, he jostled just enough to startle him awake, emitting a series of quiet whimpers that she soothed.

"It's ok buddy." She assured him, rocking him in her arms. "I got you. You're ok. I'm sorry I scared you. Your mommies just have to go to work, but we promise to be back just as soon as we can. Ok big boy?" His head was resting on her shoulder, one arm lying flat across her chest and the other flailing off limply to the side. She turned her head and leaned it back to see if his quiet, even breathing meant he was back asleep. "That's my boy." She whispered to him, cradling him closer and walking out of the room.

Callie was in the kitchen making coffee. If they had to be awake at three in the morning, they needed coffee. And, if they had to operate, it had to be extra strong and there had to be lots of it. The approaching dragging footsteps alerted Callie to her wife's presence. "Hey, you ready?" She nodded. "He still asleep?"

"He woke up for a second, but he went down easily. Hopefully he'll stay asleep so when we pick him up from Mark's later he won't be too cranky."

"Change of plans. Mark's not answering. It doesn't look like he ever left the hospital. Derek was just leaving though and said he'd take him, so looks like he's going back there."

"Ok." Was all she could manage.

"Alright. Are you ready? I made coffee. Extra strong coffee."

"Mmhmm… I got him, you take the coffee… Let's go."

Wrapping him up nice and warm, Arizona grabbed her keys from the key bowl by the couch and followed right behind Callie. Locking the door as the left and buckling their son into his car seat, they made their way to the Shepherds', and then to the hospital. It was going to be a long day or night… whatever time it was.

"I'll find you when I know what's going on." Callie said.

"Me too." With a kiss, the two separated and went their own ways; Callie to the pit and Arizona to the Peds wing. "Hey Lydia, I got a page. Which patient is it for?"

"Dr. Robbins?" The nurse questioned giving her a curious look.

"Uh, yeah, that's me."

"You weren't paged." Lydia's head shook.

"What do you mean?" She asked confused.

"No one here paged you."

"Then who the heck did?"

"I don't know Dr. Robbins. Maybe it was a mistake."

"It was a 911. That's a pretty major mistake." She scolded. It wasn't that she was angry with Lydia like her tone suggested; she would just be pissed if she dragged her under-slumbered butt out of bed for nothing.

"I don't know what to tell you."

"Find out if there's a patient that needs me so I can go home and sleep if they don't."

"Sure thing."

"I need more coffee." She said to herself and moved to the on call room. Why was she there if she didn't have to be? Who paged her?

And, like the timing gods were on her side, her phone alerted her to a call that would tell her just what she wanted to know.

**And there it is, the third installment. Hope you're still enjoying the ride. Once again, a big thank you to all those who followed, favorite, and reviewed. It's much appreciated. **

**Until next time…**

**And, just a heads up, next update won't be up until next weekend at the earliest. School and work beckon. Lots of craziness. **


	4. Just Another Kid

**The Patient**

_I don't own Grey's Anatomy or the Grey's characters, just my own words and ideas. _

**Ok people, a little late here but there was warning. Also, in the beginning, I mentioned that this is fiction and fiction isn't always based in reality, so while some things that are going to happen aren't necessarily true to, well law I think, just go with it. Don't stress the small stuff. Just keep calm and read on. =)**

**Chapter 4: Just Another Kid**

It was a long day and night spent in the OR for one Dr. Sloan. Handing off the post-op care to the interns, he was more than ready to head home. It was way past normal hours and he was exhausted. Unfortunately, home wasn't in the cards for him; not entirely. Changed out of scrubs and coat out of his locker, he was heading out and looking forward to his bed even if it was woman free. Days like that weren't uncommon anymore. He was, dare he say it, domesticated.

"Bye Dr. Sloan." One of the nurses called out to him with a seductive smile. He simply gave a wave and sauntered off. There'd be no harmless, shameless flirting that night.

He made it all the way home without interruption. Turning down the blasting tunes as he pulled into the designated spot, he parked in the lot of the same apartment building he lived in since first moving to Seattle, and locked his car after getting out. Finally, he was home… well, almost home anyway.

Standing no more than ten feet from the building's entrance he started to hear noises. The sounds of labored breathing became more and more prevalent the closer he got. What the hell was going on? "Someone there?" He asked only to receive no spoken answer. Instead, he was given silence. Like someone was holding their breath, and failing, the noise died down to a muted gargle of nothingness. Still audible though, he tried to follow it. The noise lead him straight to a young girl clutching a backpack close to her body only the dim street lamp illuminating her caramel lock and leaving the rest of her in shadows. "Hey." He called out. "Hey kid." Still, she didn't respond, just sat there looking scared and nervous, practically rocking herself as she kept her head bowed down. "What are you doing here?" Nothing… "Do you live in the building?" She hesitated, but gave a slight nod. "Your parents home?" Her head shook. "Are you ok?" He moved closer, though timidly not wanting to scare her further.

"Fuh… fi… fine. I'm fine." Bit by bit, a little more of her was revealed. Her teeth were chattering but she looked to be sweating; not two things that you'd want to see going hand in hand.

"Ok." He pretended to believe her. "What are you doing out here?"

Still stuttering a bit, she responded, "Thought I'd enjoy the scenery. They don't make stars like this where I'm from." Though she struggled, she got the sentence out fairly coherently,

"You know it's almost 2 in the morning right? Don't you have a bedtime?"

"No."

"Ok, clearly someone wasn't really in a talking mood. "Do your parents know you're out here?"

"Do-does it matter?" She hissed trying to put in edge in her frail voice. Who was she kidding? The way she was, she could barely intimidate a baby,

"Don't be a brat. I'm just trying to help." And her attitude was making him regret it.

"Don't." She glared, though he couldn't see it. She didn't want his help. All she wanted was to get in and out all unseen. Obviously, that was no longer an option.

He took one last step toward her, the light finally casting enough to reveal more of her one fragment at a time. "Do I know you?" He asked. He still couldn't see much, but those eyes were so familiar. He felt he knew her even if he didn't.

"Nah…no." She wanted to flee. She was so far beyond the point where she wanted to flee, but she physically couldn't. Just staying there and breathing was hard enough. Her lungs refused to let all the air in or maybe they just wouldn't let all the air out; she wasn't sure. Either way, it was a bitch that needed slapping.

"You sure? You look familiar." He questioned again, thoughts deep in the puzzle.

"No. I'm sure." There was a reason she looked familiar, and more than she even knew at the time.

"Did I sleep with your mom?" A sense of panic swelled. It wasn't happening again. "You're not here to tell me I'm your dad right?" Been there, done that… There were no more Sloan Sloans…

"No." Definitely not…

"Can you say anything else?" She wasn't planning on it, no… "Do I need to call the police?"

Her eyes went wide as she looked to him, truly looked to him for the first time revealing, in total, her big cerulean eyes that only made her look more familiar to him. Beyond that, though, he saw bruises marring her pale skin; a particularly nasty array of hues surrounding the left eye. "Don't…Please…" She pleaded. "I… I'll… I'll just gah-go." Her breathing worsened, the ragged sounds becoming more hitched as she attempted to get up. "I did-n't mean to do anything wrong. No ca-ah-ops. Puh-lease."

"Alright. Listen," he used his best calming voice; the one he normally reserved for his kids, "I'm a doctor. Maybe I can help you out. Want to tell me what happened to your face?"

"No." She was adamant. She couldn't let him help. She didn't deserve it. And he wouldn't want to help her if he knew her reasons for being there in the first place.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"No." Her head shook. "Not hurt. Ok."

"You don't look ok and you really don't sound ok. Are you having trouble breathing?" Mark moved to approach her.

"I'm fine. Just go." She feebly put a hand up to block him.

"I can't leave you here like this. So, let me help you or I'll call the cops and they can."

"But… I… fine."

"Yeah, you're so fine you're breathing like you just ran a marathon after going a round with Mike Tyson."

"May… be… I did."

"You know Mike Tyson?"

"Ran marathon." She quipped.

"Let me help you kid." He held out a hand that she just stared at. "I'm not going to hurt you." He told the skittish girl. "My name's Dr. Sloan; Mark." She already knew that. He was the reason she was there. "You just have to come with me and I'll try to help." It wasn't creepy at all; a grown man attempting to lure a girl who didn't look to be more than a teenager, into his home. It definitely sounded worse than it was. His intentions were pure.

Barely managing, she spit out a one word question, "Where?" She was a girl, who though fiercely independent, learned to rely on the kindness of strangers and her ability to read people's intentions. He seemed like a decent enough guy and, even though it pained her to admit it, she needed the help. Problem was, she couldn't morally accept anything from him and there was still the chance he'd call the cops.

"I live here. I have some supplies. I want to try and help you."

"Don't need it."

"Don't fight me. I'll win." His words did little to dissuade her from attempting to argue.

"Don't need help."

"Am I going to have to carry you?" It was a threat he'd follow through with. "Because I will if I have to."

"Leave… alone… please." He was getting sick of her stubbornness already. All he wanted to do was help her, do the good deed, and let that be that, but no, she had to be difficult.

"Take my hand so we can get this over with." He urged her.

Feebly, after an intense stare down where she realized he was offering the help she needed and no matter how good her reasons for saying no were it was what she had to do, she attempted to lift her hand. Somewhere between fleeing "home" to ending up on there all that was left of her strength just vanished. "Can't." The adrenaline she was running on crashed.

"Now's not the time to listen to the 'don't talk to strangers' rule."

"Can't get up… smart ass."

"Now who's the smart ass? And watch your mouth. You're too young for that. What are you, twelve?"

"Twenty one."

"And a liar too."

"Not lie."

"Whatever you say." Pulling his hand away, he placed his things down and kneeled beside her. "I don't want to move you if you're hurt. I don't want to risk further injury. Can you tell me what happened?"

"Accident." She lied. "Fell off bike." And another.

"Where's your bike now?" He was sure at that point she wasn't really living in the building and, at the very least, 50 percent of her words were lies; the other 50, he imagined, was probably made up of mostly half-truths. "How'd you get here?"

"Walked." It was truth; one of the few moments of it they had. If she owned a bike, she certainly didn't have it anymore. Walking was her major source of transportation.

"I need to get you to the hospital. Your breathing's irregular and if you really were in an accident, you could have a punctured lung or something. Maybe you hit you head." He didn't want to scare the girl who already looked like she was terrified of the world.

"No!" It was the only word she spoke since their first meeting that was completely clear and powerful. "No hospital… please..." Over and over again, she just repeated the words, "No" and "Please." Mark couldn't get a word in edgewise as she chanted her pleading mantra, but he needed to act quickly. The stress was making her breathing worse and she looked ready to pass out from hyperventilating.

"If you calm down, I promise not to take you to the hospital." He tried some bartering. It worked with his kids. "Ok? Just relax and breathe."

"No hos…pit…al…" Pulling his phone from his pocket and putting a page out to Arizona, he just kept talking to her trying to keep her calm. Her pulse was all over the place and her bruised skin was clammy but she was shaking like she was in the middle of a snowstorm without a coat.

"Ok, no hospital." He felt her forehead, but it was unnecessary. Heat radiated off of her. Chills and fever. It didn't bode well. "Damn it Kid, you're hot."

"I… I… I'd say thanks, bu-but now's not really the time for flirting." She had a smart mouth, he realized. She was crazy.

"Are you on drugs?"

"No."

"This isn't the time to lie." His voice was insistent. Kid gloves weren't his thing. "If you're overdosing, I can help, but I need to know."

"Not lie."

"Are you taking any medication at all?"

"No." She couldn't afford it even if she needed it and she was sure she probably needed something.

"How did you get the bruises?"

"Accident." She repeated her lie as he moved to exam a bruise. "Bike." Upon minimal contact, she cried out in pain. Not one part of her body didn't hurt for one reason or another.

"I'm going to pick you up and it's going to hurt like hell, but I have to do it. Do you understand?"

"Yes." He tried to jostle her as little as possible as he lifted her from the ground, but the pain was still there and immensely so. An anguished cry fell from her lips along with a hacking cough that caused him to momentarily still. It didn't sound good at all.

"Where does it hurt?" He asked.

Where didn't it would've been an easier question to answer. "Everywhere."

"Where does it hurt the most?"

"Stomach. Think spleen." She told him.

"Your spleen? What, you're a doctor now?"

"Read a lot."

"Of medical books?"

"Anything." He wanted to keep her talking. It wasn't ideal when she was having so much trouble breathing, but until he knew for sure what was wrong and didn't just have the girl's self diagnosis of hurting spleen, he wanted to keep her alert.

"You go to school?" And indistinguishable gurgle of sounds was his answer as he began the trek to his car.

Her non answer came in a plea. "Bah-bag. Need bag. Return. Need return. Sorry. Didn't mean to."

"It's ok kid. I got your bag. Just hold on a little longer." She needed a hospital, but the doctor part aside, he didn't want to take her there. He saw something in her eyes, a genuine fear or… something… that made him want to keep her safe. He didn't know why he felt any kind of need to help her at all, but he did and he was going to do what he could because, for whatever reason, she was afraid of something and he wasn't going to make it worse for her.

"Keep talking kid. Tell me how this happened."

"Donkey breath bike."

"What?" She was either getting delirious or lying about the whole drug thing. For some reason, he believed it was the former.

"No go… Go home."

"Ok… At least tell me your name."

"S…" The mere whisper of the sound was all she got out before a round of monstrous coughs sent her way past her exhaustion point and she just fell asleep. She put up quite a fight, but she couldn't stay awake. Mark's footsteps became more rapid as he rushed her into the backseat of his car and did a quick field exam. Arizona was paged. He was getting this stranger the best help she could get (not that he'd ever tell Arizona he believed that), and that was all he could do. Still, he wished he could do more.

"Hang in there kid." He said and then sped off.

Arriving at the hospital, he immediately called Arizona. "Mark?" She answered warily. Getting a call from him, or anyone really, in the middle of the night probably wasn't a great sign.

"Are you at the hospital yet?" No time for pleasantries, he just needed to get to the point.

"What?"

"You got the page right? So are you there yet?" His voice sounded a little winded. Carrying dead weight would do that.

"Why do you sound so… You're not in the middle of… Nope, don't want to know…" She shook the disgust off. She didn't want to think of him in any sort of compromising position. "Wait, you're the one who paged me?"

"Yes, are you there?"

"Yeah, Callie was paged too. We're both here. Mark…"

"Meet me in the basement. Bring supplies."

"Basement?" She asked. "Supplies for…" He hung up on her. "…what? Mark? Mark? He hung up on me! That… That jerk!" Curiously, and a bit aimlessly, Arizona made her way to the supply closet to get whatever she could think of that Mark would need in the middle of the night in a hospital basement. Yeah, she wasn't getting involved in anything sketchy. Nope, it was all perfectly normal; right on par for Seattle Grace.

Her phone dinged with a text. _Bring portable ultrasound._ It said along with a list of other things he required. "What does he think I am? A pharmacy? His servant?" She got what she could from his list as slyly as possible, and, though still a bit reluctant to join in to his shenanigans, made her way to the hospital basement; not that she knew where that was. In all her time at Seattle Grace, she never saw this part of the hospital. "Mark?" Arizona called out as she entered the room. "Mark are you here?" She tried again.

"This way!" He answered and let her to follow his voice.

"Mark what are we…" She stopped at she saw the girl lying down on an abandoned stretcher. "Is that… What's…? Is she conscious?" Putting her confusion and questions away and going into doctor mode, Arizona rushed over pushing the supplies aside.

"In and out." He responded.

Frazzled, she asked, "What happened?"

"I don't know. She says bike accident. I don't buy it for a second."

"What's wrong with her?" She asked, taking the last step toward the patient.

"She's running a fever and seems disoriented, but she thinks it's her spleen. Damn kid. I think she's right. There's bruising all along her abdomen. She's tender and swollen. Who knows what else is wrong."

Using the stethoscope, Arizona said, "Her breathing is rapid and shallow. She's tachycardic." Looking from the girl on the table then to Mark she asked, "Where did she come from?"

"She was just sitting there outside my building when I got home."

"And you… what?" She asked as she continued her exam. "You decided to take her to a hospital… basement?"

"She was begging not to go to the hospital. What was I supposed to do? She used the eyes Robbins! The big blue pouty sad eyes and she looked so scared."

"Please tell me you weren't," she made a wild hand gesture, "with her."

"God Robbins, get your mind out of the gutter. I'm not a child molester. She's just a kid."

"Ok. Ok." She put her hands up in surrender.

"She was there all helpless and pouty eyed. She needed help so I helped."

"Having kids changed you; made you… softer."

"Says the perpetual crier."

"Hey." She scowled. "Ok, stop. Focus." Arizona took stock of the situation. "Look Mark. She's bruised from head to toe. She could have a head injury. We need to get her admitted for scans and hook her up to an IV. Her spleen could be ruptured. She could need surgery. And we don't know what else is going on that we can't see. We don't really know much about what's happening in her body." Or her head… Injuries like that… bruises that could easily be defensive wounds… They didn't know what put her in that bed or what the damage under the surface was.

"You didn't see the look in her eyes Robbins. She was terrified of coming here."

"But here's where she needs to be. And I don't mean here, here." She waved around the room. "I mean upstairs here where there's real equipment and support staff to give her the care she needs."

"I know it's been a few years since I've dealt with any spleens, but we have some equipment. Can't we see what we can do before we take her upstairs? See if it's serious enough to move her? Pupils were equal and reactive and we can normalize her heart rate down here. She stated she didn't hit her head…"

Hesitantly, she responded, "Fine Mark, but she's presenting with pneumonia which she probably had for some time and is unrelated to her injuries. I don't know that we're equipped for this. We need a chest x-ray and I'd like to get her on a mask to help her breathing. Start the ultrasound and check for internal bleeding. Her abdomen looks a little distended. We can start her on broad spectrum for now and hope she responds, but if internal injuries are anywhere near as extensive as some of these bruises, she's going to need surgery and we won't be able to do that here."

"Ok. We can get the portable done here and oxygen tanks are easy enough to come by."

Floored, Arizona just had to ask, "Who is she Mark? Why are you doing this for her?"

"I can't just be a compassionate guy?" She gave him a 'come on' look and waited for more. "I don't know. She's just another kid. I found her there and… And I'm not always the jackass you think I am."

"I know you're not Mark. But if she's just another kid, then why are we here? Why aren't we taking care of her upstairs in the actual hospital?" It was a good question that didn't really have an answer. He didn't know. She was just… familiar and lost. She needed help and he actually wanted to help. Maybe Arizona was right. He has gone soft.

"Because…. Damn it. I don't know Arizona! But this kid is here and she needs our help. Are you going to help her or not?"

"Ok." She conceded. If he was that passionate about it and there was a kid's life in his hands, she was going to lend her support. Though, she would eventually ask more questions.

"Ok. Let's do this."

"Good. Got your wheelie sneaks on?" He asked and looked down to her feet and even though she didn't, he said, "Get rolling."

**I'm loving all the guesses. I've got plans and, as I've said before, all will be revealed. Patience my friends… patience. Excuse any erroneous medical junk in this and any future chapters. I will do my best. I do always do the research for it, but even that's not enough to be completely accurate. I didn't go to med school. **

**Big thank you to all who followed, favorite, and reviewed and to those who are just reading too. It's much appreciated. **

**Until next time… **


	5. Stabilize

**The Patient**

_I don't own Grey's Anatomy or the Grey's characters, just my own words and ideas. _

**Chapter 5: Stabilize**

By the time morning, morning in the sense that there was actual life up and about other than just animals creeping, rolled around, Arizona and Mark had a makeshift hospital room all set up for their patient. She was in and out of a stream of consciousness. S, as they'd come to call her would wake, mumble, and drift off again not even allowing a moment for them to ask questions. She barely even opened her eyes. A little more information would've been nice though. They did attempt to wake her and her inability to stay alert worried them, but they knew enough to know what they were dealing with and when things were dangerous.

"What do you know about her?" Arizona asked as she looked over the last round of stats she took. The girl was dirtied and bruised and broken, but they didn't seem to know much more than the physical about her.

"Other than I think her name starts with S, her current pulse ox is low, and she has blue eyes, not much." He sighed. "She could be a criminal." He had no idea how small a world it they lived in and how right he was; she just wasn't a dangerous one.

"She's a kid."

"I was a kid once. Want to talk about the things I did?"

"Not even a little." Arizona quipped back. "Mark, her stats are still low and she keeps whimpering. We need to get her upstairs and get the scans she needs before things get worse. She's barely stable, but stable for now…. I'm not comfortable not knowing the extent of the internal damage. She's just a kid and we're playing with her life." And that was not something she liked doing. As a highly recommended pediatric surgeon, Arizona had to be ok with risks and bold choices, but she was never blind. Whatever risks she took in and out of the OR when she was working on kids were calculated and felt to be the most beneficial choice for the case. This was just a girl with possibilities and they were doing things the hard way; a dangerous way.

"Well, according to her, she's 21. No a kid."

"Yeah… no. She's a baby Mark. She's not 21."

"I know." He sighed. A part of him wanted to believe the girl was 21, out on her own living her life rather than a kid on her own, lost or abandoned or whatever the case may be.

"You did everything you could to help her out and keep your promise, though I think that was a ridiculous promise to make in the first place, but now it's time to get her real help with the right machines and nurses on standby." Arizona reasoned. "We've started her on the basics, gave her a fever reducer and started the antibiotics, but she could need drugs we don't have access to down here. The fever's still higher than I'd like and she needs a CT."

"And she needs something stronger than ibuprofen." He aided her argument seeing her reason.

"She has parents somewhere Mark. Think if this was Sofia or Zane. They deserve to know she's hurting and sick. They could be looking for her right now. We don't know what happened. We don't even know why she was at your building or what her name is."

"She said her folks lived there."

"But you've never seen her before?"

"Not there, no."

"But you've seen her somewhere else?" Her brows furrowed. Was there more to the story than he was letting on. If there was, she needed to know. She was roped into this and if she was going to be complicit, he needed to be forthcoming. Then a thought hit her, and somewhat doe eyed, she looked to him and asked, "She's not your kid too is she?"

"What?! No." He gave her a look. "I asked her. She said I wasn't… I don't know. It feels like I met her before."

"She gives off that vibe."

"She does right?" They stood side by side, arms crossed as they looked to sleeping S. "She just seems familiar. To you too?"

She shrugged. "So how are we going to do this?" Arizona broke the moment of silence.

"I don't know. It's usually the interns doing crazy stuff like this, not department heads."

"We just became like interns. Thanks Sloan, just what I wanted. If the chief asks questions I'm going to…"

"Start to cry." He finished her sentence.

"I don't do that anymore!"

"We'll figure it out Robbins." He ignored her comment putting a friendly hand on her shoulder. "Tell Torres all about this. You've been saying you needed to check in with her since you got down here and I'm not even going to ask you to keep this from her. So go, I'll get her up to Peds."

"It's my department. I should be doing that."

"No, you're going to go find Callie and call your department so they have a room set and ready for her by the time I'm done taking her to get tests done."

"You know, I really don't like you sometimes…"

"That's great Arizona. Let's tell that to our kids." He interrupted.

And she pretended he didn't. "… But there are moments like this that make me love you a little more." A pat on his shoulder, she added, "I'll see you up there Mark. A room will be ready."

Arizona wasn't sure what kept her from bringing S into the hospital earlier. They were doctors and were clearly ignoring the rules; skirting the edges of legal and not. She couldn't understand why. Maybe it was Mark's pleading or maybe it was the unexpected air of familiarity the girl gave off; she didn't know. But she did know that she wanted to find her wife and fill her in. As her partner, she should know, but also as a doctor. The x-rays they did on the portable showed possible fractures and breaks. And with a patient like this, someone clearly affecting their friend, Callie was the ortho doc to go to. She was the best and only the best would do. Arizona also didn't want to be in the doghouse for not telling her sooner. That would not be super.

She searched the halls for the Latina, but she was nowhere to be found. Her phone had no new messages, not from her wife at least, so that meant she was in surgery, or decided not to check in. Since she didn't see the latter happening, Arizona checked the board. Ah-ha! Stuck in the OR 3. "Have someone page Dr. Torres to Peds when she finishes her surgery." She told a nearby nurse.

"Sure thing Dr. Robbins." The young nurse said with a kind smile.

"Super!"

While waiting for her wife, she made all the arrangements. A bed was ready and waiting in room 587 for S. Doe. Original, she knew, but she had to put some name down and just a letter wouldn't suffice. Ugh, she could get in all kinds of trouble for all they were doing, but it was a child's life at stake. It'd be worth it. _Everything ready. 587._ She sent a text to Mark as she awaited her wife. Anytime now…

Callie was just getting out of the scrub room when her pager went off. It wasn't a particularly difficult surgery, just a long one, and she was exhausted. And now, she was being paged… again. At least it wasn't the pit and chances were since it was from Peds and not an emergency, it was from her wife. Pulling the cap from her head, she pulled out her phone to call Arizona.

"You're done with surgery?" The blonde asked eagerly greeting her love.

"Just got out."

"How was it?"

"Surgery went well. Barring complication, he'll be just fine. Up and walking in no time."

"Good, awesome."

"Was the page from you?"

"Yes."

"Yes?" That was all she was going to get?

"Yeah, we need to talk."

"About?" Did anyone like hearing that phrase? _"We need to talk."_ That was definitely an instant stomach dropper. Few things can come after that and sound great.

"Meet me in my office please."

"You can't just talk to me over the phone?" An on call room, or preferably her own bed, was calling her name. Sleep, wife… yup that was what she wanted her future to hold.

"Nope. Office in 5."

"Can I at least get coffee first?" Nothing. "Arizona?" She hung up. Callie didn't much appreciate that, but assumed there was a good reason. She was still getting coffee first. Arizona hung up on her, she at least deserved her caffeine bliss.

After a quick stop at the coffee cart, which thankfully opened at the crack of dawn, Callie made it to her wife's office. "What took so long?" Arizona asked, impatiently, pulling Callie into the room and shutting the door behind her.

"I got coffee. I needed coffee. Got you one too." She held out the cup.

"Thank you." Taking a generous sip, Arizona let out a moan and said, "I so needed that."

"Are you going to tell me what's going on now?"

"Yes! Sit, we have a little while before we're needed."

"Needed for what?" Callie asked with confusion as she stood there.

"I'm getting to that."

Patting the spot next to her on the office sofa, Arizona prepared to tell the tale. Though, she wasn't exactly sure what was happening or how she got wrapped into it herself. Callie, curious to what her wife could say, sat beside the blonde and listened to every word that come from her mouth, clinging to each with more and more interest. "Let me get this right. Mark… Our Mark, self-absorbed Mark… Goes home, finds a kid, who claims not to be a kid, sick and hurt and he tries to help. Instead of taking her directly to the ER, he does a field exam and rushes her to the hospital basement… then gets my wife mixed up in whatever this is… Am I getting this right?"

"In a nutshell, yes."

"Wow."

"I know."

"Who is she?"

"No idea. She hasn't been conscious long enough to tell us, or me. She told him S, so that's what we call her. It's what her chart says too. Besides some mumbling, I haven't really heard her speak and I'm pretty sure she won't remember me when we finally talk. "

"Is it me or has the day just become a little longer."

"Well, today is tomorrow already so, yeah. I think it has."

"And crazier too."

"You're telling me."

"So, other than being your wife and his friend and now an accessory to your whatever… Why am I here?"

"I want you to look at the scans and see what you can see."

"I can do that."

"Great. She's getting a CT done now and then they'll take her to X-ray and a full work up. She was holding steady so we want to keep her that way. Mark was with her while I was getting everything set, so she might've woken up. The girl looked like she needed sleep."

"I need to meet this kid if she has Mark doing all this for her."

"I'd like to actually hear her speak and get a name. Her parents have to be worried sick."

"We'll figure this out. I'd want to know if it was one of our kids. I'm sure they would too."

"Speaking of our kids, Sofia has dance this morning." Arizona reminded her; a nice transition to something other than work.

"It's supposed to be Mark's turn to take her."

"I don't think that's happening." Arizona thought to Mark's actions. He wasn't going to leave S at least until he knew what was wrong. "And she'll be sad if none of us are there. You know she likes when we cheer her on."

"I can sneak out and take her after I look at mystery girl's scans. Z can hang out with mama while we wait."

"Do it. The kids spend enough time with Derek and Meredith. Soon we're going to need to pay them child support and convince them they're still our kids."

"We take Zola and Bailey for them. We're even."

Both women sighed and leaned into each other, using the couch to support them. They needed sleep and a quiet family day with no drama or pages. That only seemed to happen one weekend a month if they were lucky. So the few minutes of quiet ease they were currently soaking in was just what the doctor ordered. "We should do this more often." Arizona stated.

"Cuddle on the office couch?"

"No, do nothing. Just be."

Nodding, Callie agreed, "We should. Next time, we add breakfast into the equation. I'm starving."

"Food?"

"Yes please." Callie nodded. She was thinking greasy artery clogging bacon and eggs.

"Better get some for Mark too." Arizona stated. He was being all Good Samaritan and decent human being on her. Providing some sustenance felt like the right thing to do.

"Feeling generous today?"

"Well, our kids would be sad if we let him wither away. And… he is trying to take care of a patient; a not so tiny, tiny human patient."

"I'm still confused about that." Callie admitted. And, honestly, who wouldn't be a little confused? They all had weaknesses. As doctors, they all encountered patients they would break, and have broken, the rules for. But before that night, he never even knew the kid existed. Usually there's some relationship build up or something.

"Me too. I'm trying not to analyze it too much. An empty stomach isn't helping."

"Breakfast time."

"Yes! Feed me! Feed me!"

Breakfast was, though not the pancakes with the kids they planned on, nice. Despite where they were, they had each other and they made the most of it; work temporarily off their mind. Well, as much as work could be off their minds while at work. Some patient talk was exchanged. It was part of their life. They couldn't just ignore it. Just as they were finishing up, Mark alerted them the scans were up and the mild sedative they gave S would be wearing off soon.

"Better get this to Mark." Arizona said as she held up the travel mug and take out carton of food.

"And I'll take a look at the scans before I head out. I told Meredith I'd be there around 10."

"Get a move on then." The two hopped into the elevator and found their way to Mark.

"Here. We thought we should feed you. Arizona told me it's been a long night for you."

Callie's voice pulled him from the images on the light board. "Aww, Blondie does care about me. Thanks."

"These hers?" Arizona asked.

"Yeah. The spleen's definitely an issue."

"I'll say." The blonde moved closer. "Looks to have a larger laceration than I would've estimated. I'd put this at a Grade III. None of the hilar vessels are damaged and there's no major devascularization, but the subcapsular hematoma is about 54% if the surface area and the lac is expanding beyond 5cm. It needs to be monitored closely. If it gets worse or doesn't improve we should take her for surgery right away. And her lungs…"

"Pneumonia was a good call. Labs show increased white count. Hemocrit's low. She's still bleeding. We should start a blood transfusion right away and buy the meds a little more time to do their job."

"I'll prescribe some meds and have a nurse assigned to monitor the bleed. Hopefully she won't need surgery, but we'll have to keep a close eye on that. Her labs are all over the place." Arizona stated as she reviewed the results pointing out certain numbers to Mark.

"Hmm." The other doctors looked to Callie.

"What? What do you see?" Arizona questioned.

"There's a hairline fracture here. Looks recent and will require casting, but I'd also like to see it for myself because there's a particularly nasty malunion of the ulna that needs examining. It's probably causing her a great deal of pain and trouble with use. I can't imagine writing with this hand would be easy" She inspected it closer seeing more than just the fracture. "There are a few older ones here and here." She pointed to various points on the scan. "This one here," she points to the foot, "healed properly and looks older; like it happened when she was significantly younger. She has a few breaks in her medical history."

"Well, we don't really know her medical history, just what's happening now."

"No, I guess we don't, but the bones don't lie. Has she woken up at all?"

"She's still in and out, but I'm about to go check in on her." Mark said.

"Ok. Good luck. I'll take a closer look at these later. There are some things I'd like to ask her and get a better grasp of with an exam, but she needs to be awake for that. Until then, I'm going to pick up the munchkins."

"Tell them mommy can't wait to give them cuddles. Oh, and if Zane does that thing where he shakes his little baby butt to the class' music, try to get a video or picture this time. It's so perfect."

"I will." Callie leaned in for a kiss. "Love you. Call me when you get a chance."

"Love you too."

"And thanks for taking over this weekend's dance duty. I got the next two."

"Don't forget it either. We're going to hold you to that."

A game plan was in motion. Arizona and Mark came up with the best treatment plan they could. The day would be spent monitoring the girl and if things took a wrong turn, they'd go straight into surgery. First though, they wanted to see and talk with her. Fist, though, she needed to be awake and aware.

When they got to the room, S was already stirring. She looked restless, not the peaceful small look most patients got. She just looked like the kid she was. They just waited for her to wake, simply going over the vitals and checking the monitors as they did. There were a lot of questions to be asked, but they'd only get answers when she was awake enough to give them.

"Hey there kid." Mark said as her eyes began to flutter.

"Sorry. I sorry." She muttered, barely coherent and unaware of the two presences in the room. "Brought it back."

"She's groggy. There was no sign of brain injury in the scans and the fever's significantly lower. It's just the effects of the drugs." Arizona stated.

"It's Dr. Sloan. It's Mark. Can you open your eyes for me kid?"

Arizona was on standby with the penlight ready to begin her exam with a fully conscious patient as she observed her friend and co-parent. He was giving off a gentleness that she'd only seen him have with their kids. It was, well, interesting to witness. It wasn't like he was known for his bedside manner. "I'm Dr. Robbins." She introduced herself. "How are you feeling?"

"Hmm." She mumbled while balking at the bright light. "Night time. Make it night. Too light."

"Ok sweetie. Can you look at me please?"

The bleary pair of blue eyes searched for the older pair. "You're you." She said, blinking rapidly.

"Yes, I am me. I'm Dr. Robbins." She gave her name again which stirred a reaction in the patient. "Can you tell us your name?"

"I'm sorry." Her heart rate sped up and the pair of doctors quickly looked to the monitors. It was racing. "A-Air… Air…" She gasped for breath. "I… you're… Air…"

"It's ok. Just keep calm." It was clear to them, that though the pneumonia was causing her trouble, it was panic that had her gasping for air. "Tell me what's wrong. What are you sorry for sweetie?" Arizona asked, trying to keep the patient engaged and get her to calm.

"Tried to bring it back." She spoke, her breathing becoming ragged once more. She was panicking. And how could she not? That was… it was… She had good reason. She wasn't ready yet.

"Bring what back."

"So tired." The panic, the drugs, the total inability to understand where she was and what was happening was exhausting. She couldn't tell reality from fiction. She could be dreaming, but it all felt real. She just didn't know what was happening.

"We're not going to get anything from her. What'd you load her up with? A pharmacy of morphine?"

"I know how to do my job Mark."

"Where am I?" S was slowly becoming more aware of her surroundings and her heart rate declining just enough to let her breathe. The fuzziness was still there though. It still felt like a real dream rather than life.

"You're at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital."

"Hospital?!" There was that panic Mark was talking about. Arizona could see it and hear it too. Not only in her voice, but the monitors were going nuts. "No! Have to go! I need to go." She tried to fight, tried to move and tried to get out, but she wasn't going anywhere. She got as far as pulling the IV from her arm before they managed to calm her.

Nurses flooded the room. "Hey, hey, it's ok. You're safe here. We just want to talk with you. You're not in trouble." The surgeon tried to quell her.

"Why would I be? I didn't do anything to get in trouble. I just don't want to be here. You can't keep me here." She turned to Mark. "You said you wouldn't. You promised. I guess that's something I have to live with. Never trust the kindness of strangers."

"She's snarky." Arizona said to Mark.

"I know."

"So, Mr. and Mrs. Need to shut up now… Can I get out of here?" The nurses were still there waiting to be instructed.

"How about we just start with a name and take it from there?" She sat silently, unwilling to comply. Mark pushed her a little.

"You said S. What's the rest of it?" She just stared toward Arizona trying to control her racing thoughts, as she hesitated, like she was examining her. And, the truth is, she was. She was studying the woman's face.

"Ca… Call me Robbie." It was a nickname; it was what she went by for the last few years.

"Robbie? You said your name started with an S." Because it did. Spencer; Spencer started with an S.

"Right. Right, it does." She realized she was an idiot. She couldn't give a real name for so many reasons. It was bad enough she told them Robbie and if she told them her actual name they would… she just couldn't. "Sam… Yeah, yeah, it's Samantha."

"Samantha what?" She didn't answer. She didn't want to be there and she didn't know how long she could contain what little composure she had with her in the room. In a hospital, with her as a patient was not how she imagined anything happening.

"Last name kid?"

"Uh… Rob," she paused, "Roberts. Samantha Roberts. That's where Robbie comes from," Not anywhere else…

"You seem unsure."

"No. No, that's my name." Or it would be now.

Knowingly, the two doctors looked to each other. Clearly, that wasn't her name, but it was better than S. "Ok, Robbie…" Arizona noticed, as she observed the patient, that Mark was right. There was a familiarity about this girl, and definitely something about her eyes. "Can you tell us what happened? How did you get these injuries?"

"There… there was an accident… I was… I was riding my bike… um and a car was coming…."

"Wait!" Mark said surprised. "You were hit by a car?" Mark asked. The story was changing.

"What? Oh, no. No, I uh… I swerved out of the way and fell. That's… that's all." They weren't buying it. "I fell." And _fell_ again… "But… But I'm fine. I… I can just go and… and you can forget I was ever here."

"Absolutely not."

"But… But I can't be here. I can't! I need to go." Monitors were beeping once more. She really was an anxiety ridden girl. "You don't understand."

"Sweetie, what I understand is that you have serious internal injuries."

"You were right about your spleen. Thought you'd like to know." Mark added.

"Right." Arizona gave him a funny look before turning back to, who they were now calling, Robbie. "You have a lacerated spleen which we are trying to correct with medication."

"Great, so I can take the medicine and go." She wasn't joking when she said she needed out. She did. She couldn't be there and if they called the cops or social services… She was so screwed.

"No. We have to closely monitor the bleed and other internal injuries. Surgical intervention may still be necessary. Luckily, there was no brain bleed or concussion. No head injuries. How long have you been feeling sick?"

"Feeling sick? I'm not sick." She insisted. She was fine… Always fine…

"You have bacterial pneumonia and we found a cut on your back that we flushed and stitched after noticing it was infected."

"Oh…" Yeah… that… she had been hacking up a storm. There wasn't much she could do about it though so she just sucked it up. And the cut… well, where she lived wasn't exactly clean. But it was more than some.

"Don't worry. You're doing ok." Mark was quick to offer her comfort. "We have you on antibiotics to help with that. You're in good hands."

But she was still stuck in a hospital; a hospital with doctors who were required to call the police if they suspected anything out of the ordinary, kind of like a teenage girl with no parental figure around and some less than well explained injuries. Just being there in the hospital, this one in particular, had the ability to expose so many of her secrets. "Lying hands of a plastic surgeon and a woman named after a battleship. Yeah… I feel real safe."

"Listen here kid…" He was angry. He went out of his way to help her, not something he'd normally do for no reason, and she had the nerve to be a brat about it.

"Mark, calm down." Arizona stopped him from saying or doing anymore. "We're going to do a quick exam and later, someone from orthopedics will stop by to talk about your injuries." All sets of blue eyes looked to her splinted hand. It wasn't that bad, was it? The teen asked herself.

"Whatever." She said and allowed them to do their thing, though not really doing much to aid the process. Arizona's hands were cold, she noticed. That was the first thing to get a reaction from her, not the pain each touch inflicted or the tugging and pulling of the stitches, that she had accidentally torn in her poor attempt at escape, it was her cold hands. Why that stuck with her, she didn't know.

An involuntary groan escaped her lips as Arizona pressed her hands against a particularly tender spot on her stomach. "Ok." She finished up. 'We're going to be monitoring you, but you're stable right now. A nurse should be in soon to take some blood, until then, just relax. No escape attempts ok?"

"Sure." Not like she really had somewhere to go, but they found her tone unconvincing.

"I'm serious. No leaving." She said. "And we need contact information Robbie. Can you give us the name and number to your parent of guardian?"

"No." She was firm, and that was that. Arizona and Mark tried talking to her a little more, tried to get her to tell them, but she just clammed up. There was no looking in their direction or utterance of any sound. The questions would come. They always did, she knew, but she wouldn't give them answers. The point was to stay a mystery. Nothing was going as planed; nothing…

"That was weird." Arizona said to Mark after exiting the room.

"I know. She just sat there like a little statue."

"I think we need to call social services. They can track down her family."

"Robbins, you know those injuries aren't from a bike accident. What if they send her back to whoever did that to her?"

"We don't know what happened and she's clearly not talking to us, so what do you suppose we do? Any other patient and the police and social services would've been here already." Looking him in the eye, she said, "We don't know what she's been through, if someone hurt her, or if she's a runaway. We don't know. Figuring that out is their job, but it's ours to let them know there's a potential problem. I'll do what you want Mark, but you need to really think about it because you're getting way too close to the case when you said it yourself. She's just another kid."

"I'll think about it. We'll talk later." Walking away, he knew what he had to do, but doing it was the hard part. The kid was in trouble, she was lying, and as doctors, they had to uphold the oath they took. Plus, he knew Arizona. She was going to call the people who needed calling if only to hope for a happy ending. Her and her stupid pink, sparkly bubble of a vision.

"Damn it." He cursed as he pulled out his phone. He hated what he was about to do. And later, so would the kid.

Arizona didn't love the idea either. Even as she checked in on other patients, Robbie; one of the many kids she treated, was on her mind. She didn't understand it. Why? Why was she any different than the rest? "Hey Calliope. How'd dance go?" She finally had a moment of peace. For a day off, it was pretty hectic.

"You know Sofia. She's a little rock star on the dance floor."

"That's my girl."

"Yeah. She and Z miss mommy. When are you coming home?"

"Soon hopefully. All my patients are stable and I'm about to put Karev on Robbie's case so I can make home in time for dinner."

"Robbie? Another new patient?"

"No, though I'm sure that's not really her name, or maybe it's a real, like a nickname maybe, just not to the name she gave us… Robbie's the girl Mark brought in."

"Huh… Ok?"

"I don't know. The case is… Mark seems… I don't know. Are you going to talk to her about her hand?"

"Well, if you're right…"

"Which I usually am." She slipped in.

"Well, if you are and she's still a minor, if she's not emancipated, it's a surgery that'd require a guardian's signature because it's not vitally necessary, so it'd be an elective procedure. But, I'd like to do the exam anyway when I go in Monday. The swelling needs to go down on her hand before it can be casted. I've got an intern doing an exam later."

"Ok, awesome."

"You sound distracted."

"Just… Tired. Do you remember what being rested feels like?"

"Not really. But, sleep's overrated."

"I'm going to remind you about this very moment next time you complain about being paged in the middle of the night."

"Ha ha."

"Alright Calliope, I'm going to finish up here and try to head home. Cook something yummy for me?"

"You bet. I'll make your favorite."

"Yay!"

"I'll see you soon."

"Yes, and I'll tell Mark that if he can pull himself away from the hospital long enough, he can still spend time with the kids tomorrow. It was supposed to be his weekend."

"I know. Tell him. We could use some quiet and the kids would like that too."

"Love you."

"Love you too, bye." Hanging up and sinking into her desk chair, Arizona took one last, long breath before heading out. One last check in with her patients and she'd be home. Or so she thought…

Thinking she was home free was probably the first sign that something was destined to keep her there. Something was bound to happen when all was good. But just as she was about to change out of her scrubs and into something not remotely hospital-ly, her pager went off. Of course it did… Recognizing the room number, she rushed off.

"Systolic 85 and dropping Dr. Robbins; heart rate at 130." The nurse stated as she arrived. "She started coughing up blood and she's bottoming out."

"Damn it. Ok. It's time. The meds aren't working. Prep her for a laporatomy, but be prepared for a splenectomy, and page Dr. Sloan. Let him know we're on our way to the OR. Someone tell my wife to cancel dinner. Be sure to have blood on standby too. She's going to need it." They hurried off.

Dr. Bailey ended up joining Arizona in the operating room. The bleeding was more extensive than they thought and it was all hands on deck. "Suction." Arizona called out. "Where's all this blood coming from?"

"Here. Here I got it." Bailey said as she found a source; one of many small bleeds that didn't show on the scans. Quite a number was done on her body inside and out.

After cauterizing the bleed and transfusing more blood, they were all diligently working on their own tasks. There was some small talk exchanged about their families. Tuck was older now. Bailey and Ben were still going strong. Sofia and Zane were getting big… The usual. But Arizona had something else on her mind too. It was normal to think about the patient you were operating on, but there was more to it; more she didn't understand and didn't know how.

"We saved as much of the spleen as we could and I don't see any more bleeding. Let's do one last check to see if we missed anything and then close her up. Sound good to you Dr. Bailey?"

"It does."

"Good." Arizona said and they got back to work. She couldn't help but wonder who the girl was and how she ended up on their table. There were so many possibilities and so many different stories, but she couldn't stop the wondering.

After finishing the last stitch, they scrubbed out. Arizona was going to put Karev on the case and finally head home. She hadn't seen her kids since Friday night and it was already, she looked to her watch, Sunday morning. Home was calling her name loud and clear.

"Hey, how's the kid doing?" Mark was waiting for her. If he wasn't just getting out of his own surgery, he would've been watching from the gallery.

"She made it through like a champ. We managed to save most of the spleen. She'll need some recovery time and she'll need to be weary of infection, but she'll survive. And she's stable."

"Good. That's good."

"It is."

"Mark."

"Yeah?"

"I realized something while I was operating on Robbie."

"What's that?

"She's not just another kid."

"I know… I just don't know why." But soon, he'd understand it a little more. A little at a time, the mystery that was this girl would start to unravel. Until then, they had plenty of work to do to figure it all out.

**Again, I ask that you all excuse any erroneous medical junk in this and any future chapters. I will do my best. I do always do the research for it, but even that's not enough to be completely accurate. I didn't go to med school. **

**Big thank you to all who followed, favorite, and reviewed and to those who are just reading too. It's much appreciated.**

**Hope you enjoyed this latest addition. The ride will start getting a little bumpier soon. I'm evil for teasing. I know. You don't have to tell me that. =)**

**Until next time… **


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